Over 23 days in July, the Tour comprises 21 days of racing — known as stages — and two rest days that give the riders a chance to recover. The terrain that stages traverse varies from relatively flat to the high mountains of the Alps and Pyrenees.

Most stages are 'mass-start' with the whole race starting together, and there are usually one or two time trial stages in which riders race against the clock, either individually or as a team.